Visual Schedules

Students with Autism and Other Developmental Delays learn more easily, express more interest, have fewer behavior problems and demonstrate increasing independence within consistent routines. Visual schedules assist students in understanding the daily routines. They are easy to create and use within the school setting and most importantly, they work! Students should be provided with a visual schedule appropriate to their functioning level and should be expected to use their schedules independently. The STAR DVD series provides examples of visual schedule use during transition routines. As students become more capable at using their schedule independently, move towards more sophisticated and age appropriate schedules such as written and computer generated schedules.

Here are a few tips and techniques that teachers throughout the country have shared to illustrate how fun and functional visual schedules can be for the student.

• Using a "check schedule" icon is an easy and effective way to remind the student with a small picture, poker chip, or other object while providing the cue "check your schedule".  This provides the student both a visual and verbal reminder to find their schedule and go to the next scheduled activity.  Always have a place to deposit their "check schedule" icon near their schedule.  One method of doing this is to make a place to deposit "check schedule" icons by cutting a small plastic cup in two and adhering it to the wall with putty.
• Although students need to learn to follow the daily school schedule, try to find some time during the day the student can make choices in their daily schedule.  Activities during recess, free time, or deciding where they will eat lunch are all possible choices students might make throughout their day.  Provide a place on every student's schedule allowing them to choose their own activity a couple of times per day.

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